"What foods build platelets?"

That is the big question I asked myself over and over and asked the professionals around me the same. "I tell people green, leafy salads," one tech told me. "It may not be the entire truth, but at least they least something good for them."

But I don't think she was too far off the truth. Spinach has a lot of good, red blood cell-building iron in it, plus fiber.

Sure, cooked spinach may not have all the nutrients of raw spinach, but it never hurt Popeye.

Protein is a good thing to eat when your body is running down. Fish is an easily digestible form of protein that is rich in healthy fats like Omega oils, good for the heart. Don't get me started on wild salmon, not yet anyway. But if you don't like fish or you are more in the mood for a comforting food, this recipe is a good one for protein with the egg and cheese.

Besides the ease and the completely satisfying taste, what I really like about this is you can make it on a Sunday, cut it into portions and refrigerate it or even freeze it, and it reheats perfectly -- even in the microwave.

The smell of this fills the whole house with comfort, and bonus: I modified this recipe to omit half the fat and a good percentage of calories of the original recipe with that reduced amount of cheese, but the flavor is still totally there.

This is also a good recipe for anyone avoiding the white flour and extra maybe not-so-healthy fats in a typical pie crust.

I am stuck on quick and easy Crustless Spinach Quiche:

1 large yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp or so of olive oil
1 (10 oz.) package frozen, chopped spinach (thawed)
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheese*
2 slices American cheese, folded and cut into chunks
6 large eggs, beaten with a whisk
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 9-inch pie pan (I use a Pyrex glass one) with cooking spray.

2. Heat oil over medium heat to saute diced onions in olive oil until they are mostly softened with some of them a bit caramelized-brown around the edges. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt on them for luck, then add the thawed spinach, mixing onions throughout the spinach, cooking the spinach just enough to remove any excess moisture.

3. In a large bowl, mix eggs, cheeses, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set and edges are browned (about 30 minutes). Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.


* The original recipe called for 3 cups of shredded Muenster, but I used half of that amount, substituting a six cheese bagged mix of asiago/mozzarella/parmesan/asiago/provolone/romano. You can use any shredded cheese you want, and it's excellent. I added those American cheese slices in just to have a chunk of melted cheese here and there. En-joy.